Ninja Nursery
by meltedblueice
Summary: A drabble of sorts where we see all of our favorite characters that were parentless, put into a ninja orphanage run by a mysterious Uzumaki. Timeline is loosely relative to canon and so are the characters. Read and Review and let me know what you think! Slightly AU.


The sun was peeping above the forest trees, coloring the sky with a mixture of warm, welcoming colors. The majority of the fauna that inhabit the forest only just stirring, while the rest are slouching home after a night of hunting. The children will be up soon, but I just wish to relish in this calm silence of a Konoha Autumn morning.

*Screaming in the distance*

Welp, that was fun while it lasted! Time to start the day.

I sometimes wonder why I willingly chose to saddle myself with the responsibility of an orphanage. A ninja one at that. If asked I always say it is because I love kids, but really I was just bored. I mean when you throw a bunch of ninja brats together in a house with only one slightly responsible adult, chaos tends to ensue, guaranteeing few dull moments. So couple boredom with a bleeding heart and you find yourself raising, training and rearing children that had no one else to fill the place their parents left empty.

Don't get me wrong though, I love these kids. Since I'm not able to have any of my own, I offer to be a mother to orphans and they offer to be my kids. Well, that's sort of how it works. Since I established this Ninja Nursery, every child born to ninja who have been killed or died in battle, are ordered to live with me until age 16. Of course, if a child is from a clan and the clan takes responsibility for the child, they don't have to live here, but there are times when that is not the case. I have been doing this for a long time now and I feel like I will do it forever. Its hard to find a better life after slaving away in a kitchen to feed hungry mouths, wiping countless boogers off of infants faces, fingers and just about anything, or never getting a whole night of sleep because a baby is hungry or someone had a nightmare. A highlight to my day is training time. The only time I exact my revenge on them without being questioned by authorities because "Officer, I am only pushing them this hard, so that their children don't also end up in the orphanage when they die on the battlefield."

Cruel, Mari. You are truly cruel.

Anyways back to the screaming.

I walk through the kitchen door to start breakfast only to be met with Obito desperately trying to reach the cookie jar sitting on the very highest shelve, in the very highest cabinet.

"Hmmmm, Obito dear?"

"AHHHH" I struggle to hide my laughter as I watch the chair Obito had been teetering on crashing quickly to the floor, him following shortly thereafter.

"Kakashi! You were supposed to be on the look out!" Obito yelled at his partner in crime, who was lazily leaning against the kitchen counter to the left of the cookie jar cabinet.

"I was. I looked out the window and saw Madame Mari approaching." Kakashi informed with his usual cool air.

"Then I didn't you warn me, Kaka-baka!" Obito seemingly screeched, feeling betrayed, and rightfully so if my opinion counted.

"It is not my fault you are such a horrible ninja that you can't sense when danger is coming." Ouch, Kakashi, not everyone can be a genius.

"I hate to interrupt this love spat, but it is breakfast time, and sense I caught both of you in the kitchen without permission that means both of you get to gather the eggs!" I smile lovingly at their faces. Again trying hard not to laugh as Kakashi was still sputtering about my 'love spat' comment and Obito's face losing all color at having to brave the feisty chicken's for the main course of their breakfast.

"Go along, go along. The eggs won't come to the frying pan on their own." Still smiling I tossed them out the door and slammed none too easily making the point to them mot to come back until done with their new chore.

Humming to myself, bustle around the kitchen, starting up the oven and sitting out enough meat to feed my small army of ninja children. Above me, in the upper rooms I can hear the ruckus of everyone beginning to stir. Knowing full well that the last one to make it down has to help me clean all of the dishes.

I hear the sound of tiny footsteps behind me and look down to see one of the infants, Tenzou. He is holding his teddy bear, with at missing eye and leg in one arm, while vigorously rubbing his eyes with the other.

"Good morning, little one. Sleep well?" This one is one of the newer orphans, but he is quickly becoming one of my favorites. But of course I have no favorites, so lets just say I like him a lot. Probably because of the perpetually scary expression he wears that tend to freak the other children out. Their terror is my entertainment.

Tenzou shakes his head sideways and lifts his arms up in the general toddler language meaning, "Hold me."

I grant his request by grabbing him under the arms and lifting him to sit on my hip comfortably, with teddy nestled between us.

"I'm sorry you didn't sleep well, little bud. Did you have nightmares again?" I ask while continuing to cook with meat and preparing a pan for the eggs. Kakashi and Obito should be back anytime.

Tenzou again shakes his head yes. I sigh and touch my forehead to his.

"Just what are we going to do with these nightmares, huh?" He looks at me with wide eyes and a frown that hurts me to look at. Dang kid, that is pretty scary. "Well for now how about we just eat a cookie, huh?" His smile slowly turns into a smile where only the corners are lifted. Yep, Tenzou is terrifying.

I reach for the cabinet underneath the sink and pull out a container claiming to contain bleach. Only when I open it, it reveals numerous cookies of assorted variety.

I hand Tenzou one and then lift my finger to my lips. "Lets keep this secret between us, ok?"

He eagerly shakes his head and stuffs the cookie in his mouth whole. At that moment, Obito and Kakashi come in both laden baskets full of eggs and covered in dirt and feathers. They both have scratches on their hand and faces and look on the verge of crying in Obito's case, where Kakashi looks almost irritated. Gotta figure out how to make him drop that mask of indifference sometime. It should be fun.

This time I don't even try to hide my laughter at their expense.

"Here is your freaking eggs, Devil Woman!" Obito huffed while placing his basket down. Kakashi sets his down quietly.

"Why thank you, my dear. Now if you don't mind, go wash up before breakfast and take Tenzou with you. He could do with a little washing." I could smell the stench of sweat on him. Probably a product of his nightmares.

"Fine. Wait, what is he eating!? Is that a cookie?!" Obito screamed in indignation. I smile my most loving smile.

"Why yes it is. The little man was even able to reach it himself! They grow up so fast."

"Wow Obito, getting shown up by a toddler." Kakashi drawled while walking over and taking Tenzou from my arms. He slowly walked out of the kitchen, with Obito following in toe complaining on how it was just impossible that he could reach it. Tenzou just contently sitting in Kakashi's arms, chewing his cookie looking at Obito with his goosbumps inducing grin all the way out the kitchen.

I shake my head and start to cook the eggs. Humming to myself as I finish breakfast and listen as the dinning room slowly fills up with ninja children. No, even with the screaming, boogers and tears, I wouldn't be anywhere but here.

 **Authors Note:**

 **Frist off: No I don't own Naruto nor its characters nor its plot line.**

 **This is a random fic, but it is focused around an idea I have been cultivating for awhile. For a lose explanation, I have inserted a orphanage strictly for ninja into Konoha that is run by an original character, Mari Uzumaki. I will most likely use this fic as a drabble collection focusing around the orphanage throughout the years. Please review and tell me what you think! Thank you!**


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